Lithgow Ironfest founder looking to host second event in Sydney

CONQUERING SYDNEY: The festival director and founder of Ironfest Macgregor Ross is looking further than Showground. Picture: PHOEBE MOLONEY.

The founder of Ironfest, artist Macgregor Ross, said he is keen to start a second Ironfest event in Sydney and will be touring an “iconic Sydney arts institution” as a possible location in coming weeks.

Mr Ross said creating a second event would not be to the detriment of the original festival in Lithgow.

“I don’t think it would be detrimental,” he said.

“There’s a possibility that it could be complementary. For example, Mudgee used to have a wine festival held at Balmoral Beach [in Sydney].

“It would be more like ‘Lithgow Ironfest at somewhere’, working as a sort of flagship promotion.”

With attendance to Lithgow’s Ironfest increasing, Mr Ross said a second event in spring would be one way to increase participation while keeping the main festival at Lithgow Showground, which he said is reaching capacity.

“Saturday has always been the big day, so we’re looking at ticketing strategies like limiting tickets for Saturday so people are encouraged to come on Sunday, or way down the line we might have to limit overall ticket sales.

“I am still very keen to have a second Ironfest, that’s also a way of spreading the visitation.”